Box-filling machine



Fig.1.

W. E. ZIEGNER BOX FILLING MACHINE Filed August 26, 1922 v l/i/l/l/ ATTO EY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 21 1926.

W. E. ZIEGNER BOX FILLING MACHINE Filed August 26, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 F IG. 4.

Fig. 5.

INVENTOF? o 0 War/fer E. Zegner ATTORNEY Dec. 21, 1926;

w. E. ZI EGNER BOX FILLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed August 26, 1922 INVENT OR WbI/er EZ/ggher- ATTQRNEY 4 a W Z Patented'Dec; 21, 1926.

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Application filed August 28, 1822. Serial No. 684,531.

This invention relates to improvements in box filling machines, its object being to provide a novel and efficient machine which may be used to either measure or weigh the material introduced to the boxes in supplying them eachwith a like quantity of the material.

The invention resides in novel material feeding means and mechanisms for controlling and operating the same whereby the feeding of the material to each box maybe started by a hand operation of theattendant and thereafter stopped automatically and instantly after the introduction of a predetermined quantity of material to the box,'as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention,

Figure l is a front view of a box filling machine embodying my invention.

' l igure 2 is a side view thereof.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the lower portion of the machine, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the machine, on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a top view of the machine. Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the machine, on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section through the clutches, on line 77 of Fig. 4.

Figures 8 and 9 are transverse sections through one of the clutches, on lines 88 and 9-9, respectively, of Fig. 7

Figure 10 is a s'ection on line 1010 of Fig. 4, showing the clutch operating arm and adjuncts.

Figure 11 is a vertical section through the hopper.

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connections.

Figure 13 is a detail of thestop bracket for the pivoted frame.

Referring to the drawings, the frame of the machine, as generally stated, comprises side castings or members 11, a table plate 12 connecting the members 11 at the top thereof, tiebars 13 connecting the members 11 below the plate 12,1ateral standards 14 and 15 secured to and rising above the members 11, a bracket 16 connecting the upper end portions of the standards 14 and 15,

and a bar-.17 connecting the-standards l4- and 15- below the bracket 16.

Pivoted, at 18, to a bracket 19 on the standard 14 is a frame 20 comprising parallel bars 21 extending on the respective sides of the standard 14 and connected at their outer'ends by a cross bar 22havin a centrally arranged, outwardly extending Far 23. The bar 23 carries a weight 24 which is adjustable thereon toward and from the pivot 18 and which is provided with a set screw 25 to secure it in positions of adjustment. One bar 21 of the frame 20 is provided with a small bar 26 supported outwardly from the bar 21 by pins or studs 27 sienna re mam.-

connecting the bars 21 and 26 near theends of the bar 26, and the bar 26 is provided with a weight 28 which is lighter than the weight 24 and which is adjustable on the bar 26 toward and from the pivot 18 which is located between the two weights 24 and 28, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The inner ends of the bars 21 of the frame 20 are connected by a part 29 which is pivoted thereto, at. 30, and which is secured to and supports a vertical rod 31. The rod 31 extends through and above the part 29 and carries a platform or support 32 on its upper end which is adapted to receive a box or carton to be supplied or filled with material to be'carried thereby. The rod 31 extends down through an opening in the table plate 12 to a point some distance below the same, and the lower end portion of the rod 31 is pivoted to one end of a bar 33 which extends substantially parallel to the frame 20 and has its other end pivoted to a bracket 34 on the lower portion of the standard. 14 and which with the frame 20 serves to permit up and down movement of the rod 31 and maintain it in substantially an upright or vertical position. Upward movement of the frame 20 and support 32 is limited by a stop 35 formed on a plate 36 which is secured to the standard 14 by a thumb nut 37 on a screw which extends fixedly from the standard 14 and through a vertical slot in the plate 36. The slot serves to permit the plate 36 to be adjusted vertically to different positions to vary the position of the support 32 when its upward movement is limited by the engagement of the frame 20 with the stop 35.

The hopper 38 for containing the material to be supplied to the boxes or cartons to be filled is supported between the upper portions of the standards 14 and 15 by thethe hopper 38 has a downwardly directed tubular discharge spout 39 the lower open end of which is directly over the central portion of the box support 32 to feed material from the hopper 38 into a box placed upon the support. The spout 39 has a suitable feed screw 40 therein which extends into the hopper 38 above the spout 39 for feeding material from the hopper into and down wardly through the spout and discharging the material from the lower end of the spout when the screw 40 is rotated. The screw 40 is carried by the lower end of a vertical shaft 41 turning in a tubular shaft 42 which is mounted to turn in a bearing 43 which extends down into the hopper 38 and is supported by a plate 44 formed thereon and secured upon the bracket 16. The upper end portion of the shaft 41 extends above the top of the tubular shaft 42 and has a bevel gear wheel 45 secured thereon 7 through which the shaft 41 is driven, as will be hereinafter described. The hub of the gear wheel 45 carries a pinion 46 in mesh with a gear wheel 47 which turns on a shaft 48 supported by and extending upwardly from a block 49 secured upon the plate 44; and the hub of the gear wheel 47 carries a pinion 50 in mesh with a gear wheel 51 secured to the upper end of the tubular shaft 42, whereby, when the shaft 41 is turned to actuate the screw 40 to feed material through and from the spout 39, the tubular shaft 42 will be turned at a slower speed. The tubular shaft 42 carries suitably shaped stirring or agitating arms 52 and 53 for stirring or agitating the material within the hopper and causing it to feed downwardly therein to the sphere of influence of the feed screw 40.

The bevel gear wheel 45 is driven by a similar wheel 54 on the inner end of a horizontal shaft 55 which turns in suitable bearings on the bracket 16. The outer end of the shaft 55 has a bevel gear wheel 56 secured thereon which is driven by a similar wheel 57 on the upper end'of a vertical shaft 58 which rotates in bearings on the standard 15. The lower end of the shaft 58 is provided with a bevel gear wheel 59 driven by a similar wheel 60 secured on a horizontal shaft 61 which turns in bearings 62 and 63 on the machine frame. The shaft 61 is provided with a brake clutch 64 and a power clutch 65. Each clutch 64 and 65 comprises a sleeve 66 surrounding the shaft 61 and enclosing a number of metal discs 67 and a number of fibre discs 68 surrounding the shaft 61 within the sleeve 66 and arranged in alternate succession the metal discs 67 are keyed to the shaft 61 and the fibre discs 68 are keyed to the sleeve 66. Between the clutches 64 and 65 is a collar 69 which is slidable on the shaft 61 toward either clutch and into engagement with its discs to press them together between the colla'r 69 and an opposing' endwall 70 of the sleeve and thereby connect the clutch frictionally with the shaft 61. The sleeve 66 of the brake clutch 64 is formed on or secured to the fixed bearing 63 and the sleeve 66 of the power clutch 65 has a sprocket wheel 71 formed on or secured to the hub thereof which is driven by a chain 72 from a sprocket wheel 73 on a shaft 74 turning in suitable bearings on the machine frame. The shaft 61 and therewith the sleeve 66 of the ,power clutch 65 are constantly driven by a suitable motor 75 mounted on the machine frame and having its power shaft connected by a sprocket chain 76 to a sprocket wheel 77 on the shaft 74. It will now be understood that if the clutch collar 69 be moved into engagement with the power clutch 65, the shaft 61 will be actuated by the motor 75 to actuate the material feeding devices within the hopper 38, and that when the clutch collar 69 is moved from the power clutch 65 and into engagement with the brake clutch 64, the driving connection between the motor 75 and the shaft 61 and the feeding devices will be broken and the brake clutch 64 will quickly stop the operation of the shaft 61 and" the feeding devices upon the removal of the power therefrom.

The motor driven shaft 74 is provided.

with a sprocket wheel 78 connected by a sprocket chain 79 to a constantly driven sprocket wheel 80 which turns loosely on a normally idle shaft 81 mounted to turn in hearings on the machine frame and actuated only when the sprocket wheel 80 is operatively connected thereto by devices which I shall now describe. Formed on the sprocket wheel 80 is an annular flange 82 having a circular series of spaced notches 83'therein, and secured on the shaft 81 is a collar 84 having an arm 85 carrying a clutch lever 86 which is fulcrumed, at 87, thereon. One

arm 88 of the lever 86 is within the annular flange 82 and the other arm 89 of the lever 86 embraces the flange 82. The free end of the arm 88 of the lever 86 is pressed normally toward the flange 82 by a spring 90 extending between and connected to pins projecting from the arms 85 and 89. When the lever 86 is free to act under the pull of the spring 90, the free end of the arm 88 will enter one of the notches 83 of flange 82 of the constantly rotating wheel 80 and cause the collar 84 and shaft 81 to rotate with the wheel 80 until the arm 89 of the lever 86 meets and engages a hook 91 on the free end of an arm 92 of a lever 93 resting in its path. When the arm 89 meets and engages the hook 91 the lever 86 is rocked againstthe action of the spring 90 to disengage the lever arm 86 from the wheel flange 82 and thereby stop the rotation of the shaft 81 by the sprocket wheel 80. The lever 93 is fulcrumed, at 94, on a part of the machine frame and its arm 95 is connected by; red

96 to an arm 97 of a hand operated lever 98; The lever 98'is g lcrumed, at 99, on the frame bar 17 andfitsf arm 100 has a downv raise its hook91. from engagement with the lever arm 89 and thereby permit the spring 90 to' engage thelever. arm 88 with the sprocket wheel flange 82 to ;permit. the wheel .4 80 to rotate the shaft 81,as previously-explained. In operatingethe machine, the attendant raises the immediately thereafter, the attendant releases the knob 102 and permits it to drop back to its normal' position to return the hook 91 to the path of the lever arm 89, so that after the shaft 81 makes a complete revolution, the lever arm.89 will engage the 81 until the attendant raises the knob 102 again. I

'One endof the normally idle shaftSl extends through a slot 103 in the upper end portion of .a link or bar 104, and the shaft. 81 is provided with a cam 105 adapted to engage a roller 106 on the bar. 104 and raise the bar for a purpose presently explained.

he lower end of the link or bar 104 is con-' nected to an arm 107 son a rock shaft 108 fitted to turn in a bracket 109 on the machine frame The shaft 108 has a downwardly extending arm 110 securedthereon and connected by a bar 111 to the free'end of an arm or lever 112 which is pivoted at 113 to abracket on the machine frame. The arm 112 hasa partthereof embracing the clutch collar 69 within an annular groove 114 there in to move the clutch collar into engagement with the clutches 64 and 65 in alternate succession when the arm 112 is moved back and forth. The clutch. collar 69 is held normally in engagement with the brake clutch 64 by a spring 115, one end of which is connected to the arm 112 and the other end of which is connected to an arm projecting from the bearing 63. When the normally idle shaft 81 is caused to turn one revolution by raising the knob 102 and releasing the same, as previously explained, the cam 105 engages the roller'106'and raises the 'bar 104 and arm 107 and rocks the shaft 108 and causes the arm 110 to move the bar 111 and arm 112 against the action of the spring 115 until the clutch collar 69 is moved by the arm 112 from the brake clutch64 and into operative engagement with the power clutch 65; and, as soon as the collar 69 is operatively engaged with the clutch 65 a pawl 116 carried bythe arm 107 engages a tooth 117 and thereby holds the collar 69 in engageknob 102 to raisethe hook 91 and free the lever 86 and thus start the rotation of the normally idle shaft 81, and,

clutch collar 69 65 and engage'it'with the brake clutch 'the shaft 118 and havi hook, 121

[thepower clutch 65gandwhich is contact part 130. v

capes-the roller 106 and the shaft'81 continues to 'rotate until it is stopped by the engagement of the lever arm 89 with the book- 91, as hereinbefore explained. The tooth 117 which the pawl 116 engages is formed on a collar on one 'end' of a rock shaft 118 119. The other end of the lever 122. is con- 'nected by a link 124 to the armature 125 of an el'ectro-magnet 126'on the standard15, so

that vwhen the magnet 126is'; energized, its armature 125 will operate the lever 124 to disengage the hook121ffrom the arm 120..

The odlsengagement-ofthe hook 121 from the arnr120 permits the pawl 116 to turn the shaft'118 and free itself from the tooth 117 by the pullof the spring 115 and there: hook 9l'and stop the rotation of the shaft b y permits the spring 115 to disengage-the from the the 1 power clutch After the pawl 116 frees itself from the tooth 117 a torsional spring 127 encircling gone end engaged with a collar thereon and its other end engaged with the bracket' 119freturns the arm 120 into position to, be reengaged by the when the magnet )126 is de-energizei in a The rock arm 1.28 whichis adapted to movebetween and electrically connect two normally disconnected, Spring contact arms'129 when the shaft 108 is rocked in the operation of moving the clutch collar 69 into engagement with adapted to move from betweenthe arms 129 to electrically disconnect them whenthe shaft 108 is rocked in the operation of moving the .clutch collar 69 inmengagement with the brake clutch 64} The'contact arms 129 project from a block of insulating material on the machine frame andthey form part of a normally open electric circuit; and included in the circuit are two normally separated contact parts 130 and 131 which are elecrically insulated from each other. The contact part 130 is a spring arm carried by an insulating bracket on the machine frame,

shaft 108 provided with an and the contact part 131 is an arm carried by the vertically movable rod 31, previously referred to, the lower portion of the rod 31 carrying the part 131 being insulated from the upper portion ofthe rod. When the pivoted frame 20 is up against its stop 35 the contact arm 131 is above and out of contact with the contact arm 130, and, when the platform or support 32 is depressed against the action of the Weight 24, the contact part 131 is moved down into engagement with the .magnet In Fig. 12, I have shown the normally open electric circuit which includes the contact parts 128,129, 130 and 131 and the electro- 126 and which comprises a wire 132 leading from a battery 133 or suitable source of electric current to the magnet 126, a wire 134 leading from the magnet 126 to one of the contact arms 129, a wire 135 connecting the other contact arm 129 and the contact the stop 35,

placed During the operation of the machine, the boxes or cartons to be supplied with material from the hopper 38 are successively upon the platform or support 32 and removed therefrom after'heing supplied with material from the hopper. The spout 39 extends down into each box 137 placed upon the support 32, as shown by dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1.

After the placing of each box upon the support 32 the attendant raises the knob 102 and immediately releases the same, and this, without further effort on the part of the attendant, causes the machine to start to feed material from the hopper 38 and into the box 137 until a predetermined quantity is supplied thereto and then automatically stop the feeding of the material as follows:

When the attendant raises the knob 102 he raises the hook 91 on the lever arm 92 from engagement with the lever arm 89 and therebypermits the constantly rotating wheel 80 to turn the shaft 81 one complete revolution, whereupon the lever arm 89 recngages the hook 91 and stops the further rotation of the shaft 81, as previously explained. The turning of the shaft 81 one revolution causes it to rock the shaft 108 and move the arm'128 into engagement with the contact arms 129, 129 and thereby close the electric circuit at that point, the circuit remaining open between the contact parts 130 and 131. This rocking of the shaft 108 moves the clutch collar 69 from engagement with the brake clutch 64 and into engagement with the power clutch 65 and raises the pawl 116 into engagement with the tooth 117 which holds the clutch collar 69 in engagement with the power clutch 65 until the pawl 116 is released from the tooth 117.

The engagen'ient of the clutch collar 69 with the power clutch 65 starts the operation of the shaft 61. and therewith the operation of the feeding devices within the hopper 38 and the screw 40 feeds the material within the hopper down through the s out 39 and into the box 137, forcing the 0x 'and'its support 32 down against the action of the weight 24 and packing the material into the box 137 until the box and its support are forced down to a predetermined position which controls the quantity of material suplied to the box. When the box has been orced down to this predetermined position, the contact part 131 engages the contact part 130 and thereby completely closes the electric circuit and energizes the electro-magnet 126 which operates the hook 121 .to release the arm 120 and permit the spring 115 to turn the shaft 108 and release the pawl 116 from the tooth 117 and move the clutch collar '69 from the power clutch 65 and into engagement with the brake clutch 64 thereby removin the power from the shaft 61 and the feeding devices operated thereby and instantly applying a brake thereto and instantly stopping the feeding of material from the spout 39'. The rocking of the shaft 108 in thus stopping the feeding of the material into the box 137 causes the arm 128 to be moved out from between the contact arms 129 to its normal position and thereby breaks the electric circuit between the arms 129 and de-energ1zes theelectromagnet 126 for a succeeding operation.

The purpose of opening and closing the electric circuit between the contact arms 129 is to de-energize the magnet 126 immediately after the contact arts 130 and 131 close the circuit during a ox filling operation and to permit the frame 20 and box support 32 freely to be moved up and down without energizing the magnet .126 when the parts 130 and 131 are brought into contact between box filling operations.

Instead of forcing the weight upwardly by the pressure of the material forced into the box from the spout'39, the support 32, spout 39 and box to be filled may be related so that the material fed from the spout 39 will drop therefrom into the box during all stages of a filling operation and a predetermined weight'of the material will raise the weight 24 and lower the part 131 into contact with the part 130 for closing the circuit whichcontrols the feeding of the material. Therefore it will be understood that the machine may be used either as a measuring machine or a weighing machine.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a box filling machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a feed hopper having a discharge spout, means adapted to be operated to feed materialfrom the honper through its spout, a driving device, a brake device, an operating part movable to a position connecting the first named means and the driving device and to another position connecting the first named means and the brake device, a spring to move said position, and a part to the second named latch device adapted, to ho said part in the first named ,position against the action of the spring and to be operated to release the same. r

2. In a box filling machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a feed hop er having a discharge spout, depressible yie (1- ing means below the spout to support a box, means adapted to be operated tofeed material from the hopper through its spout, a driving device, a brake device, an operating part movable to a position connecting the first named means and the driving device and to another position connecting thefirst named means and'the brake device, a spring to move said part to the secondnamed position, a latch to hold said part inthe first named position against the action of the spring, and means acting automatically to o erate the latch device to release said part w en said support is depressed to a predetermined posltion,

3. In a box filling machine, the combinationof a supporting frame, a feed hopper having a discharge spout, depressible yielding means below the spout to support a box, means adapted to be operated to feed material from the hopper through its spout, a driving device, constantly actuated power mechanism operatively connected to the driving device, a brake device, an operating part movable to a position connecting the first named means and the driving device and to another position connecting the first named means and the brake device, a spring to move said part to the second named position, a latch device to hold said part in the first named position against the action of the spring, normally idle means adapted to be connected to the power mechanism to move said part to the first named position, and means acting automatically to operate the latch device to release said part when said support is depressed to a predetermined position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature hereto; E.. ZIEGNER. 

